Internationally acclaimed jazz/pop combo Monkey House celebrate their latest release on Alma Records.
SHOW DETAILS
7:00 PM - Doors open for dinner and drinks. Reserve a table at
https://www.lula.ca/reservations
8:00 PM - Concert begins
$35 ADVANCE + HST
TICKETS ARE GENERAL ADMISSION AND DO NOT GUARANTEE SEATING.
Join us before the show to enjoy Lula's tropical inspired dinner and drinks menu.
Dinner reservations available at
https://www.lula.ca/reservations.
" Monkey House is akin to the finest Steely Dan . . . great music, lyrics and playing” Elliott Randall, former Steely Dan guitarist
“What a band . . . ferocious technicians with a beautiful melodic approach” Linley Hamilton, BBC Radio
“Sophisticated, supple, funky, and smart… glorious chords, expert playing, and music as luxurious as a king-size mattress with a duck down duvet on a frosty night” Bob Mersereau, CBC Radio
“Don Breithaupt of Monkey House is one of the very few guys who really get the melodic pop thing: Randy Goodrum, David Foster, Michael Omartian. It’s a very special category.” Jay Graydon, Grammy-winning producer.
CRASHBOX
On June 6, Alma Records releases Crashbox , the seventh album from Monkey House, the internationally acclaimed jazz/pop combo formed by Emmy-winning songwriter-producer Don Breithaupt back in 1992. The project really hit its stride with the release of 2012's Headquarters — that’s when Breithaupt solidified his core lineup of elite Toronto musicians: guitarist Justin Abedin, bassist Pat Kilbride, and drummer Mark Kelso, and connected with his studio A-team: producer Peter Cardinali and Grammy-winning engineer John “Beetle” Bailey.
Crashbox confirms these longtime collaborators are firing on all cylinders. Breithaupt explains: “I do much of the heavy lifting for these records over a period of a couple of years, writing and rewriting songs. Then I demo them and try out arrangement ideas before the band or Peter even hear them. Once we have a shortlist, it’s down to recording live off the floor at Noble Street Studios with the band, arranging the horns, thinking about background vocals and guest stars. Production is like coming down the hill on the rollercoaster; all the prep work is getting to the top.”
Breithaupt’s material effortlessly draws on jazz, rock, pop, and R&B, with lyrics ranging from the personal and impressionistic to pointed social commentary. He acknowledges the mood of Crashbox is a touch brighter than the often dark Remember the Audio (2022): “With the last one, I wasn’t thinking this is my pandemic album, but in retrospect I recognize the thoughts of someone who was doing too much doomscrolling. That said, there are probably a couple of songs on Crashbox with that end-of-the-world vibe. If you don’t think things are weird out there, you’re not paying attention.”
MONKEY HOUSE
Monkey House began in the nineties as an outlet for songs Emmy winner Don Breithaupt thought were “too quirky” for the pop and R&B artists he was working with at the time. An acclaimed debut album and a string of high-performing AC singles followed, and Monkey House became a going concern, with devoted followings in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Japan and elsewhere.
By 2014, the Toronto-based project had become a quartet: Breithaupt on lead vocals and keyboards; Mark Kelso on drums; Pat Kilbride on bass; Justin Abedin on guitar. Today, that line-up continues to be supplemented by Grammy-winning guest stars, including The Manhattan Transfer, Jay Graydon, Randy Brecker, Drew Zingg, Mark Lettieri, Elliott Randall, Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan), Donny McCaslin, Lucy Woodward and Richie Hayward.
The now-decades-long history of the band includes three #1 berths on the iTunes Jazz chart, and two #11 debuts on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Monkey House became an ALMA Records artist with 2012’s Headquarters . The new album, Crashbox , is the latest chapter in a spectacular legacy of ingenious songwriting, deep grooves and sparkling production.
You may also like the following events from Lula Lounge:
Also check out other
Music events in Toronto,
Entertainment events in Toronto,
Concerts in Toronto.
